US ARTIST IMMIGRATION CONTEST

US ARTIST IMMIGRATION CONTEST -- Japanese sculptor Nao Matsuomoto works on a figure made of tape after fashioning another from chewing gum and ramen noodles, foreground, in his space at White Box, an art and performance space, April 25, in New York. Matsuomoto is one of 10 emerging artists from around the world participating in AsylumNYC, a project conceived by Berlin-based Wooloo Productions, who invited the artists to apply for "creative asylum" at White Box April 24-29, while the space is converted into a "detention center." During that time the artists are not permitted to leave the space and were stripped of all supplies they brought from home. At week's end, one artist will be selected to receive free assistance from an immigration lawyer to be able to remain legally in the United States. The project was developed to call attention to immigrants' difficulties and asylum-seekers worldwide.